Firefighter Cancer Benefits

Eliminated eligibility criteria for living firefighters, including the requirement of 5 years of employment and a 5-year tobacco-free period.

Deleted the mandate for employers to cover cancer treatment costs and reimburse out-of-pocket expenses.

Removed the $25,000 one-time cash payout benefit for firefighters diagnosed with cancer.

Deleted the requirement for the Division of State Fire Marshal to adopt rules for employer cancer prevention best practices.

Condensed the bill to include only the provision requiring death benefits for beneficiaries for one year after employment termination.

Added a specific condition requiring the cancer diagnosis to occur after the individual was employed as a firefighter.

Updated the bill header to reflect the new committee sponsor, which now includes Appropriations.

Changed the version identifier from Committee Substitute 1 to Committee Substitute 2.

Added a formal finding and declaration of important state interest to Section 2, which was not present in the original filed version.

Updated the bill title from 'Original Filed Version' to 'Committee Substitute 1' and adjusted the header to reflect committee sponsorship.

Updated the filing timestamp from December 19, 2025, to February 12, 2026, and changed the bill identifier suffix from '__' to 'c1'.